Quote: M@islebugs "You don't think it's a legitimate enquiry of a sitting MP to find out what happened to hundreds of thousands of pounds of money donated by his constituents? Or, for that matter to act on behalf of a constituent who may have been a creditor? Far from it being irresponsible, I'd suggest it's his job to try and find out what happened.
I take your point about the document forming the basis of any potential prosecution but I find it hard to believe these documents are meant to be kept secret indefinitely. Were the DTI not to recommend prosecution what would be gained?'"
TBH, it seems quite clear (to me at least) that the donated money went to plug the hole left by the withdrawn bank funding, and then to enable the operation to hang on for a further period up to the administration - which was anyway consistent with what we were told at the time, once you stripped all the smoke and mirrors bollox about the nasty evil HMRC and tax bills out of it - I personally don't think there is any huge secret to be discovered about what happened to the £500k. To me that is far and away the easiest of the questions to answer. I have it on good authority, from outside the club, that Hood had lined up administration for if the Pledge failed, and for shortly after Easter. In the event, the directors (old and new) all found they were able to continue in business until June, AFTER the bank got out, so that's a QED for me.
The £500k (and I personally put in about 0.2% of that, and was collectively involved in a further 0.5% so I have as good a reason as most to want explanation) to me is not the issue, although I can fully understand why to most people it is probably the most visible part of the whole debacle and therefore needs explaining. And, as it happens, I am one of Philip Davies' constituents - if I wanted my MP to investigate, I'd have to try and attract HIS interest not Gerry's...
What I am much more interested in is the background to the stadium sale, the role of the RFL, and the loan repayment and its term; what the Hood board's plans were for bringing costs and income back into line given the truly alarming gap that seemingly opened up in 2011 (I presume, with hindsight, they had spent all the 2011 season ticket money, received late 2010, in keeping the ship afloat in Q4 2010 and so had to first run to the RFL early 2011 - when the debenture was put in place) and how much the catastrophic on-field performances of 2011 stymied any such plans; whether what I understood to have happened over Orford is indeed the full story; what really happened over Harrisgate, and who did or did not say what and did or did not do what; how the "new" board post-eviction felt able to continue trading, and yet clearly incur additional tax liabilities that they were unable to pay (remember, Guilfoyle has to report on Coulby and Agar's conduct too, you would hope just as objectively...and I think there are plenty of unanswered questions over their period of office especially since they were the in-situ directors when the music stopped); and a whole load of other financial questions.
But all I expect to appear in the public domain on most or all of the above is what anyone, quite possibly with a vested interest chooses to selectively tell us. Unless of course one of our illustrious RL hacks finally does their job and runs a fully-researched story ...
A business went bust. So do lots of others, sadly. That does not necessarily mean anyone did anything illegal, and it does not even necessarily mean anyone was especially incompetant (although I am sure that, as a minimum, the Peter Principle will be seen to have been demonstrated in spades in this case...) or over-optimistic (although hindsight is wonderful). But I would feel a lot more comfortable if I knew that none of what has gone on and is likely to go on had anything to do with scores being settled, and that the fans were not again being taken for fools.